Egyptian Scholar: Al-Aqsa Mosque Is Not Sacred to Muslims

Egyptian novelist and scholar Youssef Ziedan told Egypt’s CBC TV on Dec. 3 that the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Yerushalayim has nothing to do with the Al-Aqsa referred to in the Quran.

“Our ancient religious scholars – Al-Waqidi, Al-Tabari, and many others – said…that the Prophet Muhammad…went to the city of Tai’f [in Mecca Province in Saudi Arabia]. On the road to Ta’if, there were two mosques: Al-Adna Mosque [“the nearest”] and Al-Aqsa Mosque [“the farthest”]….Al-Waqidi and others said that these two mosques were on the road from Mecca to Ta’if.”

“The Al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem] did not exist back then, and the city…was called Aelia, and it had no mosques.”